Runners from an Eynsham firm are the latest corporate team to sign up for this year's OX5 Run.

The five-mile race, which takes place at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, on Sunday, April 6, last year raised more than £50,000 for the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign, which has so far collected £13.8m towards a £15m target.

Hundreds of fun-runners will race alongside local businesses, who are competing to become the fastest team in the charity race.

Last year, staff from the Oxford Mail took the trophy and have challenged other corporate teams to try to win the cup, which they can then keep for a year.

Staff at Siemens in Eynsham, which makes magnets for medical scanners, entered a team of 14 runners last year and are signing up volunteers to take part again.

Jason Willis, 33, from Witney, who will be running the race for the fifth time this year, said: "We did very well last year - I think there are a couple of marathon runners in our team - but we weren't quite fast enough to win it.

"I think we will put in a strong challenge this time and we would love to win the trophy.

"The course is quite undulating in places and my own personal best time is about 40 minutes.

"It's a fantastic cause and I will be doing a bit of training around Ducklington Lake, or on the treadmill in the gym, to get in shape."

Tony Puffer, 46, business excellence manager at Siemens, added: "To date, we have raised £32,000 for the children's hospital through various events, including this one.

"Staff here are quite knowledgeable about the children's hospital, because the charity's fundraisers put on a presentation to show what the money can be spent on.

"I reckon I could run about a mile but I think I would struggle to complete five and I still need to be persuaded before I will run - I'm volunteering to take the team photos."

Claire Hooper, a spokesman for the hospital campaign, said: "It's great that another corporate team like Siemens is entering the race - the competition is really hotting up.

"We're very grateful to Siemens for the money they have raised over the years, and for their continuing support."

Staff from Botley-based finance firm Grant Thornton, who won the OX5 Cup in 2006, are entering the event again and aiming to recapture the trophy, which is awarded to the team with the lowest aggregate time for its top five finishers.

Pop singer and actor Jason Donovan, who lives in Oxfordshire and is a supporter of the hospital, will start the race for the second year running.

Last year, about 800 people took part in the run around the palace grounds.

Entry is £10 per person and each runner is encouraged to raise at least £100 in sponsorship money, but this is not compulsory.

All money raised goes to the children's hospital, which has just celebrated its first birthday.

To take part see oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/ox5run